Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

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Venezuela just cut its workweek once again, and not because someone has been reading Timothy Ferriss. Earlier this month, President Nicolas Maduro gave Fridays off to the public sector to minimize power usage in the ongoing energy crisis. Now, VP Aristobulo Isturiz has announced those same workers—numbering about 2 million—should take Wednesdays and Thursdays off, too, effectively creating a two-day workweek, the BBC reports. "There will be no work in the public sector on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, except for fundamental and necessary tasks," Isturiz proclaimed on national TV (though Forbes wonders why "anyone in the bureaucracy [is] doing anything at all that is not a 'fundamental and necessary task'"). Maduro—who said Tuesday that the revised workweek would last at least two weeks, per Reuters—has blamed the energy problems on erratic weather caused by El Nino, including a drought.

"We are requesting international help, technical and financial aid to help revert the situation," he said, per the BBC. "We are managing the situation in the best possible way while we wait for the rains to return." Opposition members, though, blame "mismanagement and corruption," CNN notes, and the New York Times reports an electoral panel has started the process to allow Maduro to be removed from office. "Maduro says that 'we in government don't stop working for a second.' Of course. Except for Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays!" an opposition newspaper columnist wrote. Venezuelans are enduring ever-increasing blackouts, spoiled food, problems getting running water, and uncomfortable temperatures. "We can't go on living like this," a man tells CNN. "We Venezuelan people deserve much better." And a shop owner started to cry when asked how difficult things have been, replying, "This life is killing us."

Killary and Bernie want to put America on the same socialist road. Vote Republican!!!

old man down

Apr 28, 2016 9:30 AM CDT

If socialism is so wonderful leave us,and move to Venezuela where you won't have to wait for the US to convert, instead of loving from afar. There are plenty of other countries you people can move to. If you read the article they are now asking for international help! Which means countries with CASH. Now isn't that ironic.

kreuz

Apr 27, 2016 4:00 PM CDT

Lenin said that under socialism the streets would be made of gold cobblestones. The reality of course was the inability of the collective to feed the nation. In Turd World Venezuela, toilet paper is hard to find. And this is what our socialist underclass dolts want to impose on America.